Eric Williams covered the Sonics' last season in Seattle. A Tacoma native, Eric graduated from Mount Tahoma High and the University of Puget Sound.
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BY ERIC D. WILLIAMS
Eric.williams@thenewstribune.com
Attorneys for the Sonics filed a motion in federal court on Friday arguing against documents from Seattle developer Matt Griffin being sealed for attorney’s eyes only and not available for members of the Sonics ownership group to view.
Friday’s filing was the latest in court proceedings leading up to the June 16 trial between the City of Seattle and the Sonics over terms of the KeyArena lease.
The city filed a lawsuit against the Sonics to force the team to honor the last two years of its lease, which ends in September 2010.
The filing claims that Griffin, who serves as spokesperson for a private investment group trying to secure arena funding for an NBA team in Seattle, has not met the heavy burden necessary to establish confidential treatment for the documents.
Attorneys for the Sonics state they received over 1,000 documents from Griffin that show a plan to use the litigation against the team to create financial bleeding for the Sonics in order to force the Oklahoma City-based ownership group to sell to Griffin’s private investment group, headed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
In the redacted filing, attorneys for the Sonics also argue emails produced by Griffin show the private investment group efforts to keep those documents concealed.
Further, attorneys for the team argue documents produced by Griffin “chronicle an unseemly alliance among K & L Gates, the city of Seattle and Griffin to use the court’s equity powers for an improper purpose.”
In the filing attorneys for the Sonics claim the documents which have been sealed show “an embarrassing web of conflicts,” and that K & L Gates has been representing both the city of Seattle and Griffin. At some times K & L Gates negotiated with the city on behalf of Griffin, as they did in an effort to negotiate terms for a remodeled KeyArena.
And at other times the Seattle law firm switched hats and negotiated with Griffin on behalf of the city. K & L Gates also formerly represented the Sonics, the claim states.
The current Sonics ownership group reiterated in the claim that the team is not for sale and the group intends to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City, citing the lease agreement with Oklahoma City to play at the Ford Center, the $120 million tax extension voters there overwhelmingly approved to remodel Ford Center to make it NBA ready, and the NBA Board of Governors approval of the team’s move as evidence of their intentions.
COMMENTS:
The fact that the City of Seattle is willing to work a deal with Balmer's group shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Isn't OKC giving Bennett's group a sweetheart deal as well to bring the Sonics there?
Seattle, is the only home for them.
SAVE OUR SONICS!!
Olympia really let the Sonic fans down.
The biggest issue of the decade was on the line.
I sure hope Slade Gordon can SAVE OUR SONICS.
Slade saved baseball for Seattle.
Slade is a Representive was can have confidance in.
Let us give praise to Mr. Slade Gordon.
Most issues in Olympia are 25 years past due any way.
The Sonics and Seattle cannot wait!!
Respectfully,
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